Wicked Hourglass
by Shirou-Tenshin
Summary: An IchiRuki HichiRuki fic. On a stormy night in Karakura Town, Rukia has terrible nightmares of the coming Winter War. When she seeks comfort from one of her most trusted companions, Ichigo, why does she suddenly feel a sense of fear in his presence?


_Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of it's characters or concepts! Bleach is a property of Tite Kubo, and no one else._

Echoes in the dark. That was all she could hear. As she tossed and turned in the small enclosures of Ichigo's closet, Rukia winced and cringed, rolling back and forth, trying to rid her psyche of the troubling nightmare that befell her in her sleep. She could hear them, her friends, her friends calling out to her as they cried out in bloody screams, viciously dying in cold blood at the hands of the traitors and the fearsome Arrancar during the eminent Winter War. Her fears taunted her in her dreams, plaguing her thoughts with the images of her dying friends and loved ones. No matter where she looked, all she saw was the colour red. She looked down at her own hands in fear as she saw them stained crimson. Blood covered her face, making her ebony hair stick together as she held the bleeding, dying form of her dearest friend. Her sorrowful cries broke the heart of all who heard it. He just couldn't die, not after all he had done, taking the blade of that Espada right to his heart so that she wouldn't die. It couldn't end like this. Never like this. As the hot tears fell down her cheeks, she gripped his lifeless corpse closer, crying out, "RENJI!! YOU CAN'T DIE!!"

"R… Rukia…" In a gasp, she quickly pulled herself from Renji's cold body, turning her head slowly in fear and disbelief at the voice coming from behind her. No, it couldn't be. Not him too. His voice, it sounded so soft, so raspy… he…he couldn't be… As she finally faced him, her eyes widened and she gasped when she saw Ichigo crawling pitifully towards her. Her arms shook with fright and her skin paled when she saw his ragged state. He had clearly been run through with several Zanpaktou, all Arrancar. His left arm had gone limp, and he had a large gash in his head that wouldn't stop bleeding. He tried to lift himself using his good arm, and she saw the intensity of the damaged. She felt that she would be sick when she realized that he had been nearly sliced clean in half, just like that time fighting against Aizen when he had saved her in the Soul Society. It was a miracle that he was still even conscious, then again, Ichigo's will to live had always been both a blessing and a curse. It was the latter in this case. He looked directly at her with concern, and seemed relived that she wasn't hurt. He smiled weakly at her, the harsh pants escaping his lips from his endeavor of seeking her out. "I-I'm glad…that you're…n-not hurt… Rukia…" He collapsed on the ground, exhausted from the strain.

"Ichigo!!" Rukia gently laid the dead Renji on the ground, turning from him in tears to help her other dying friend. As she approached him, she was worried when he coughed up blood. She knelt down, grabbing his head and resting it on her lap as she tried to make contact with him through her teary bloodshot eyes. Though it seemed logical at the time, she realized that her pleas were going out to deaf ears. She held unto his slowly dying body for dear life, praying to whatever God would listen to her that she wouldn't lose another friend. No more, she couldn't take it. As she cried even more, slightly rocking back and forth, hugging his head to her, she didn't know what she had done to deserve this. Renji was dead. He lay back where she had placed him in the sand, his crimson hair flaring behind him like a grand curtain, blending in with the blood from his wounds. Her brother, Byakuya, lay not too far away on the terrains of Hueco Mundo. He was blind sighted by Gin as he was on his way to help them. To help her, his only sister. He had put up a good fight, mortally wounding the traitor, but alas, it only proved to be his demise. In the distance, near the main building of Las Noches, Orihime died in the arms of Uryuu, who had tried to rescue her from the Cuarta Espada, but gloriously died in vain at his attempts. Orihime was caught in the final attack that had taken both their lives, and Chad was out of sight, but Rukia couldn't feel a single trace of his reiatsu.

As she sniffled back, not being able to hold her tears any longer, she cried in Ichigo's hair. Why was she the only one left? She gasped when Ichigo lifted his head to look into her scarred eyes while his were filled with so many emotions. She leaned down to him, listening for what he had clearly wanted to tell her. She knew it would probably be the last thing he would ever say.

"R-Rukia….I just…t-thank you…f-for everything…don't…tell my folks…they wouldn't…u-understand…and R-Rukia?" She leaned in close, getting only inches from his face to fully grasp the words from his failing voice.

"Yes, Ichigo! Ichigo, what is it?"

He smiled to her one last time before whispering into her ear, "I….l-love…you…" and with that, the great Substitute Shinigami, who single-handedly defied the system of the Soul Society to rescue her, fell to the abyss of death, dropping Zangetsu in the sands of his tomb. Frozen in a state of utter disbelief and pain at his death, the whole world seems to stand still as the cry of her pain echoed across the surface of the earth…

"ICHIGO!!!!"

***

She gasped and her eyes flew open, her body instantly throwing her in a sitting position. She was sweating hard, panting like a wild dog. Her eyes were wide and bloodshot from crying in her sleep, and her hands shook vigorously. What… had that all been a dream? Nothing… but a dream? She couldn't pinpoint it, but as she glanced around, she saw that she was still in Ichigo's closet. A wave of relief rushed through her veins, and she let out a breath she had not realized she was holding. But, just to be sure, she lightly opened the closet door to reassure herself. Sure enough, there was Ichigo, sleeping soundly in his bed. She smiled, feeling almost ready to cry again as the relief passed through her in intervals. He was all right, which meant that everyone else; Renji, Byakuya, Orihime, Uryuu, Chad… there were all fine. She took a moment to look at Ichigo as he slept. He looked so peaceful in his sleep as the light pouring in the window from the sparkling silver moon, illuminating the light skin of his face, and the blaze in his wild, orange hair. She watched the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed.

He would never know of her horrifying nightmare, and he shouldn't. It wasn't his place to worry about her, but still, she… she… she didn't know what she felt for him. It was all too confusing. She sighed, closing the door, but when she did, she gasped as frightening fragments of her nightmare flashed in her mind. Her heart rate sped up again and she caught her breath in her throat, clutching at her nightdress. She shook with fear, too afraid to go back to sleep, but knowing that she needed to if she didn't want to pay for it the next day. She opened the door and looked at Ichigo again, thinking about anything that wouldn't bring about those hurtful images. As she stared at the peaceful boy, an idea sprung into her head. She sighed, not really wanting to seem so weak, especially in front of Ichigo, but seeing no other way she would get back to sleep.

She stepped onto the cold, wooden surface of his floor, silently gliding over to where Ichigo lay in his bed. She looked to the bedside clock that read 2 o'clock, and then looked down at him, her fists clenched, scarcely believing what she was about to do. Sighing in defeat, she slowly crept in under the covers, trying to keep as much distance from the orange-haired teen as she could. She felt awkward enough just being in the same bed, she didn't need them to be touching too. She felt like she would melt into the covers. The mattress was very comfortable, and the sheets were warm from him sleeping in them. She felt her cheeks heat up when she thought of this.

She turned her head so that her indigo orbs were looking right at the light raining down from the moon. It sure was awfully bright tonight. She looked down at Ichigo's face and smiled. He looked like the momma's boy that she thought of him, his face scrunched together in a funny way as he dreamed the night away. Her heart fluttered without her knowing it at the sight of him. Maybe, just maybe, she could finally get a peaceful night's sleep. As she sensed sleep tug at her tired eyes, she slowly felt herself slipping away into the land of dreams, sighing peaceful as she finally started falling to rest, however, just before she could finally be taken away into a blissful sleep, a sudden, malicious voice made her breath catch in her throat. "Hohhhh… How nice it is to see you… little Queen."

She gasped, her eyes going wide again, slowly turning her head to find the source of the dark voice. She was caught off guard when she peered over to see Ichigo awake, with his eyes fully opened to reveal black scleras and golden pupils. She was paralyzed on the spot. What was this? What had happened to Ichigo? Was that even Ichigo? Those eyes… "W-Who are you?... and what have you done with Ichigo?"

The being simply chuckled at her, grinning like a mad dog at a piece of meat. She saw the hunger in his eyes, but was frozen by his golden gaze that pinned her down like a fierce reiatsu. They drove the meaning of fear directly into her heart. In fact, Rukia would say that had never felt such fear since the time she knew Ichimaru Gin. She shuddered at the thought of that man, bringing him to mind at a time like this. Both him, and this man, this being, they both held that same kind of seeping venom, the kind that would tear you apart from the inside and corrupt the purest of hearts. Their only difference was that Rukia had always thought of Gin as a snake, coiling around her throat, but this man, this other Ichigo… he reminded her more of a wolf, tearing apart her flesh with his claws and licking the blood away, ready to devour her at any moment. His eyes…that gold hue in his eyes, it made her feel like he could look right through her clothes, through her skin, right into her soul. She felt completely exposed to him, something she detested more than anything. Signs of weakness.

As her fingers trembled, his intoxicating voice dripped like venom into her ears, "Well now, having a bad dream, my Queen?" he laughed menacingly at her. Moving faster than she could react, he pinned her down, coming only inches from her face. She tried to struggle out of his grip, but it was no use, she was trapped. She felt the fear stab into her repeatedly like a sharp dagger as her breathing became more desperate. She could feel the cold sweat on her forehead. He smirked at her futile attempts to break free and continued speaking. "Why so frightened, my Queen? I will not harm you… much". More laughter. "I just want to… help you, nothing more. You will have no more use for that foolish, weak King of mine, for, after all… when you become mine, you shall call me 'King'…" He smirked to her as she interpreted the meaning of his words and panicked. He wouldn't dare. She struggled yelling out and trying to claw at him or do anything to escape his grasp. "Get off me, you monster! Stop! Let me go! You'll regret this! Ichigo! Ichigo, if you're in there, please! Ichigo, help me! Ichigo!!"

He laughed at her attempts to reach Ichigo through her voice, whispering to her with the utmost confidence, "You can't reach him, my Queen… struggle all you want, he'll never hear you…" He laughed at her as she continued to cry out to Ichigo, and just when it seemed that Rukia had lost hope, the demon frozen, letting go of her. He dropped on his side, clutching his head in pain. His eyes shut as he tossed and turned, fighting for dominance. Rukia stared at him in confusion and fright, and when the stranger cried out, Ichigo fell limp on the bed, unmoving, unresponsive. It was quiet for some time, and the tension was building in Rukia. She whispered a faint, "I-Ichigo….?" praying not for the worst to have befallen him.

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, and Rukia felt relieved when she saw the familiar, comforting brown eyes. Ichigo looked dazed for a moment, not responding, and then noticed Rukia looking at him. He quickly lifted himself up, looking at her. His eyes widened when he realized she had tears falling from her indigo eyes. Reaching out to her, his voice was filled with concern. "Rukia! What is it? What's wr-"

He stopped when she shuddered away from him. He sat there, caught in a daze. He looked into her eyes and saw only fear and confusion. Her body was shaking and a cold sweat gleamed across her forehead. What was going on? Why was she shutting him out, turning away from him? What had happened that had her so worked up? He was a little surprised that she was actually in his bed to begin with, and knew she would never do something like that, but what had compelled her to do it? The only thing he recalled besides his dream was hearing his hollow's voice a little louder than usual… wait… his hollow?! No… there was no way… the Vaizards had never mentioned anything about the hollows being able to control someone in their sleep. No, it couldn't be… "Rukia…what…what happened? Was it… was it me? What did I do to you, Rukia? Please, I want to help… Rukia…" He spoke her name softly, and she twitched.

Rukia's mind was spiraling. She couldn't take it anymore. First, her nightmare, then Ichigo nearly attacked her, but it wasn't Ichigo. Then who… So much information, the questions, concerns, fears, all swimming through her head. She looked up into his sympathetic brown eyes and slowly fell forward, allowing him to catch her stuttering a shocked, "R-Rukia!?"

She allowed the rest of her tears to pour out onto Ichigo's t-shirt, the feeling of pure relief washing over her senses and drowning out all other senses. Ichigo seemed to understand, and sat quietly, wrapping him arms around her in comfort as she released her fears, tear by tear on his chest. They remained quiet for some time. Then, Ichigo broke the silence, whispering to her as she cried, "Rukia… whatever I did… I'm so sorry…please… don't cry anymore, ok? You know… I'll always be here for you…just like you were there for me when I needed you most…"

She took all his words to heart, sniffling out a pitiful "T-Thank you….Ichigo…"

As she slowly stopped her crying, and eventually fell to sleep against him, Ichigo sighed. Damn that hollow of his. If he finds out that the bastard has done anything to hurt Rukia…. He glanced over to the little clock on the bedside table. It read 3 o'clock.

***

Rukia's eyes slowly fluttered open, adjusting to the brilliant light of the morning sun that fell in through Ichigo's window and focused her eyes to see red fabric…strange… the cover of the mattress in Ichigo's closet wasn't red, then… she looked up to see a neck, than a chin, then a sleeping face, and a mop of spiky orange hair. She realized the situation and flushed red. She was curled into a ball, sleeping right up against Ichigo, and even worse was that his arms were around her. She felt as though she would catch fire with her face so red. She had to get out of this.

Slowly, without waking him, she squirmed out of his grip, sitting up on the side of his bed, a brushed a hand through her bed head. Suddenly, she stopped when she saw the flash of golden eyes in her mind. She gasped quietly, turning to looking at the sleeping Ichigo. She smiled when she saw he was normal. God, he looked like a little kid as he slept, mouth half hung open, his body proportioned every which way across the mattress. As she stood up, walking over to the closet to open the door and put her Chappy slippers on, she sighed, thinking about the golden eyes. Maybe that was all just a dream… there was no way that it could have been real. Shinigami didn't have hollows in them, so it wasn't possible that Ichigo could have been possessed like that. It was both naturally and ethically impossible. However, as she retreated from the room, anxious for a cup of coffee to start her day off, she didn't notice the flicker of golden eyes that watched her escape, and the dark voice that whispered to the wind,

"Someday, you will be mine, my Queen… my Rukia-chan…"

_A/N: R&R. Thank you for reading my fic and I hoped you enjoyed it. If you have any questions about my writings, please message me. Look forward to some of my upcoming fics! _


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